Simple as That
by Emikachan6576
Summary: Shun Kazami planned to have Alice Gehabich. And what he wanted, he always got. It was as simple as that.
1. A Gift for You

**AN: Hi! I'm back with my second story! I just got the inspiration to write a ShunxAlice, but I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this. Ah well, let's just see where this goes, kay? Also, there will be hints of RunoxDan and JuliexBilly, but that's not really mentioned in the first chapter.**

**By the way, thank you so much for the feedback on my other story! It's nice to know that people like it ^_^ If you have not yet read it, you definitely should go and check it out. It's amazing. Not that I'm biased or anything... xD**

** Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the plot, my OCs, and my love for writing.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

He discretely watched her, observing her as she slept. She remained blissfully unaware of his stare, as her auburn hair framed her face and kept the teacher from noticing her lack of attention. She appeared completely relaxed, and he smirked slightly at the sight.

She shifted a bit after a while. He kept his face carefully neutral, as her eyes fluttered open, revealing her chocolate brown eyes. He knew that she was unintentionally attracting him even more, but he did not care. The movement held his gaze, stealing his breath, and the tiny yawn she gave afterward was just so damn cute.

His decision implemented itself further as he turned his attention back toward the rambling man they called a teacher. He crossed his arms together over his chest as he leaned back into the metal back of his chair. It would be difficult, he knew, as she had many admirers, but he would have her.

Shun Kazami planned to have Alice Gehabich. And what he wanted, he always got. It was as simple as that.

oOo

Chapter One

oOo

"Julie," she hissed, stressing the name. "Please give it back."

"Who do you think sent it?" the quirky girl smirked back, toying with the little card attached to the rose. The name Alice Gehabich was written on the note, the handwriting a beautiful, neat cursive. "You have so many guys falling at your feet, it'll be impossible to know which one!"

From his position in front of them, Shun Kazami's eyes narrowed.

Alice bit her lip, giving Julie a desperate look. "Just give me the flower."

"But I want to know who gave it to you!" Julie Makimoto pouted at her conservative friend, "Besides, you have so many at home anyway, it won't make a difference if you just threw it away!"

"Well, whoever sent it made a very nice gesture and it is only polite of me to keep it," she frowned, appalled at the thought of being rude. "So, give it back!"

"Nope!" Julie shouted, leaning back. The rose remained just out of Alice's reach, even as she tried to grab it. She smirked at her victory, until someone behind her plucked it out of the girl's grip. A blue haired girl stood behind her, arms crossed in disapproval at her behavior.

"Really Julie? Again? Stop teasing the poor girl!" Runo Misaki scolded, handing the rose back to the grateful red-head. Alice cradled the rose in her palm, looking at the bruised petals sadly.

"W-what?" Julie blinked. "Where did you come from?"

Runo shook her head, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm in your HOMEROOM." She yelled the last word into the pink clad girl to emphasize. A few heads turned to see what the commotion was, but once they glimpsed the fiery bluenette, they quickly returned to whatever it was they were doing.

"Oh," Julie rubbed her head sheepishly, "I knew that. Of course I did." She clapped her hands together and nodded her head, smiling cheerily at them.

"Of course you did." Runo rolled her eyes. She then turned to the softly smiling Alice, who was watching them with an amused glint in her eye. "So who sent it?"

"I don't know. It didn't come with a name." Alice shook her head, bemused.

"Hmph. As much as I hate to say it Alice, you really should just throw it away. Besides, any guy who can't fess up to it is probably just a coward anyway." Runo sniffed.

Shun's hands clenched, but he made sure not to draw attention to himself. He merely stiffened a little at the insult and continued to gauge Alice's reaction to the small flower. He had placed it on her desk before anyone entered in hopes she would take a liking to the gesture.

"Now Runo, don't jump to conclusions," Alice lightly reprimanded her friend. "He's probably just shy."

"Pft, shy or not, it doesn't matter anyway." Julie cut in, a gleeful look on her face, "It's still something. I think it's sweet."

Alice nodded her head absentmindedly, agreeing with her statement. It was a really nice thing to do for her. Even though she had many admirers, many just asked her outright without considering how she felt about the attention they would draw.

At that second, in a moment of pure irony, a tall, sliver haired boy approached the trio. Shun watched from the corner of his eye, making sure to be discrete. The boy inclined his head towards Runo and Julie, before turning his attention to Alice. He gently lifted the girl's hand, the one that wasn't wrapped around the rose, to his mouth. Kissing her hand lightly, he remained oblivious to Shun's sudden, but carefully masked, anger.

"Hello, my dear Alice. I trust that your weekend was satisfactory?" Klaus von Hertzon asked the blushing girl, his German accent making nearby fangirls to swoon.

"Yes, thank you Klaus. And you?" Alice returned the sentiment politely, after all, he came from a very influential family, and Alice knew better than to be rude.

"It was fine. Now, Alice, I was wondering about something?" The boy in front of her had still not let go of her hand, and was holding it gently between his own.

Alice inclined her head to the side, prompting him to speak what was on his mind.

Klaus took in a deep breath, "I was wondering if you were free anytime this week. My schedule has lightened up considerably, and it would be an honor if I could spend some time getting to know you better." He watched the steadily reddening Alice in front of him, gauging her response. The girls nearby looked ready to claw her eyes out.

Alice could feel the flush creeping up her neck as she desperately searched for a polite way to turn him down. She had nothing against the boy, but he really was a bit too sophisticated, or at least he acted that way, for her.

"Um. I'm sorry, but Runo's asked me to help out at her parent's diner, and Julie wanted me to help tutor her in math." Alice quickly made up, glancing at her friends, who were observing the scene with barely withheld smirks.

Runo, deciding to help the poor chick out, spoke up, her voice laced with amusement, "Yeah. Alice agreed to cover my shifts for the next week."

Klaus looked disappointed, but politely nodded his head in understanding. "I see. Well, I wish you luck then, my dear Alice." With that, he left the room, the fangirls dogging at his heel.

As soon as the door shut, Runo and Julie began to squeal. They began bombarding Alice with questions that left her mouth slightly gaping at the interrogation that was thrown in her face.

Shun continued to listen in, or eavesdrop you might say, sighing a bit at the stupidity of the scene. He glanced back over his shoulder at the innocent, bruised rose lying on her desk and cursed von Hertzon for having distracted her with his absolutely ridiculous attraction. That had been his only mission for the day, yet it seemed to have pretty much blown up in his face.

As the duo continued to fire questions at the object of his affection, Shun wondered briefly why he had chosen Alice to be the recipient of his adoration. However, a quick glance to his left, where a clump of girls who were staring possessively at him with something akin to love, answered that question rather quickly.

Alice Gehabich was kind, sweet, and _not_ obsessively in "love" with him. She didn't care for his handsome looks, opting instead to judge based on their personality. Her beauty, intelligence, and willingness to help others only cemented the deal.

Sooner or later, he would have her, and no one was going to stand in his way.

oOo

"It can't be a coincidence," Julie whispered to her best friends the next day.

However, Alice and Runo merely continued to stare at the gorgeous, silver bunny charm resting on Alice's desk. The same white tag was attached to the little chain, with the neat Alice Gehabich curling on the paper.

Runo let out a low whistle, "Dang, now I really want to know who's giving you this stuff. I wonder if they knew your favorite animal was a bunny, or if it was just a coincidence."

"I… I don't know," Alice whispered, awestruck at the simple, yet beautiful charm lying innocently on the desk. "It's so pretty though! But it must have cost a fortune…"

She gently lifted it by the golden chain that was attached to it. The little rabbit spun slightly as it was suspended in the air. Carefully, she brought it up and over her head, before letting it drop to rest above her chest. It, amazingly, went very well with her outfit.

"Hey! Maybe it's from Klaus!" Julie suddenly piped up, a bright look in her eyes. Alice nodded slowly, after all, it could be. He was very rich.

But Runo shook her head, "Nah. I know him. If he was going to give you something, he would give it outright. We all saw how he asked Alice out yesterday, right?"

Julie visibly deflated, but a few girls who were listening in brightened up considerably. Alice shook her head slowly in bewilderment. Who kept on giving her these things? And to spend so much money on her, yet she was completely clueless as to who her secret admirer was.

Shun, who was also paying close attention to the conversation at hand, albeit more secretively than the fangirls over yonder, felt his ego grow slightly at Alice's obvious appreciation for the present. Tossing a quick glance over his shoulder, his pride swelled at the look of admiration on the red-head's face. Knowing that he was the one to put it there, even if she herself didn't know, elated him.

Suddenly, Shun felt something clamping onto his arm with a vice like grip. Startled, but refusing to show any outward sign, he stared at the girl that was hanging off of him with hearts in her eyes. He had to think for a moment before her name came to mind.

Alicia Talijo, from what he heard was the president of his fan club, was currently holding onto to his arm as if her life depended on it, and for her, it probably felt like it did. She had a soppy, slavish look on her face. Shun supposed that she thought this was "seductive", but he only found it repulsive.

"Shun! Wow, I can't believe we ran into each other! What a surprise!" She giggled madly, her voice coming out high-pitched enough to make him wince. And what surprise? He wouldn't be shocked if she had deliberately came just to attack him.

"Talijo, would you mind letting go of my arm?" His voice was quiet, but it had a clear undertone of warning that made the girl flinch back slightly.

"Ooh, rejected!" Runo crooned from behind her. It was no secret that Alicia and Runo hated each other, the two often having cat fights or verbal spars. It must have been too much for her to resist butting in.

"Shut up, Misaki! I heard you and Kuso are having another fight. How does it feel to have the only guy willing to go out with you kiss another girl?" Alicia spat at her. Runo's eyes narrowed and Julie rose angrily beside her. Even kind Alice had a deep frown on her face.

"Talijo, everyone knows that you sent that chick to kiss him, knowing that Dan is the only guy stupid enough to not push her away," Julie snarled, immediately jumping to her friend's defense.

Runo was so mad that she didn't even bother telling Julie off for calling her boyfriend stupid. If anything, she agreed that he was an idiot. But that wasn't the case here. The bitch in front of her just crossed a line that she really shouldn't have.

She strode forward until she was face to face with the she devil. Towering over Alicia's short 5' 2", she glared down at her as if she were the scum at the bottom of her shoe, "Listen here you slut. That is one, none of your business, and two; at least we're still dating. We don't sleep around the entire school spreading Herpes, unlike _someone_ we all know and hate."

A look of hate flashed over her features, a sneer finding its way onto Alicia's face. She shoved Runo roughly, "Ha! You actually believe that rumor? Do you really think I'm stupid enough to get an STD?"

The bluenette gave her a deadpan look, "Yes." She then shoved her back, just as forceful. The girl teetered on her 5 inch stilettos, her arms flailing as she struggled to regain her balance.

Unfortunately, Shun was caught off guard by an arm that whacked the back of his head. He immediately turned and glared at the offender. Alicia who had finally regained her balance look horrified.

"I'm so sorry, Shun! It was all Misaki's fault, she pushed me!" She cried, cowering under his harsh glare.

"I wasn't the one who hit him. If anything, you started it!" Runo retorted, crossing her arms and looking away with a huff.

Alice gently laid a hand on the girl's arm, and gave Shun an apologetic look, "What Runo means is that she's sorry, and that hitting you was unintentional." She carefully left out the fact that Runo had definitely meant to push Alicia.

"Don't talk to him!" Alicia screamed, "You have no right—"

"Shut up, we're apologizing." Julie growled.

Shun shot Alicia an annoyed glance, and she immediately backed off.

Julie rolled her eyes. Once upon a time she was a good friend of Alicia's, but unfortunately, Alicia had discovered two things: One, popularity. Two, her "love" for Shun. It seemed that she got worse with each day, unable to make Shun notice her. She tried everything she knew, but the boy continued to look the other way, and Alicia's little heart just could not take it.

"I'm fine," Shun muttered, catching Alice's eye. The warm brown sparkled gratefully, smiling at him relieved. Shun felt his breath catch in his throat.

Alice Gehabich, though, remained oblivious.

He turned to Alicia, who looked on the verge of tears. He would've felt sympathy for her if she didn't stalk him. "Shouldn't you be getting to your own homeroom? The bell is about to ring."

Immediately, the girl's expression lit up. "Oh, how sweet of you to worry about me! But rest assured, I'll make sure I'm not late." She sent a final wink at him before turning and prancing out of the room, steadfastly ignoring Runo's not so subtle snickers behind her back.

Shun sighed as he turned his head away. Despite the smile he had received, he had gained enough information from his first plan of action to know that the gifts were nice, but not enough to give him what he completely wanted. It seemed it was time for his second plan.

* * *

**AN: Annnddd scene! That's it for chapter 1! I'm not quite sure what I'll add on next. I'm welcome to suggestions! :D**

**So whatcha think? Good? Bad? Out of character? Tell me in a review! Even just a one word reply would make me happy beyond belief. It would make my day if you could leave some feedback. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please no flames.**


	2. Sweat and Teacher's Pet

**AN: Hey! Fanfiction was giving me a weird time and it's just now let me start updating again. It must have been a glitch in the system or something like that. But here's the next chappie! It took me all day to write. As I said before, I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this. But I think I did okay on it ^_^**

**And thank you all for all of the amazing feedback I got on this story! 10 reviews on the very first chapter? That's amazing. It really is. It really made my day. Honestly, that was the only thing that kept me at my laptop and encouraged me to keep writing. :)**

**Disclaimer: ****I own nothing other than the plot, my OCs, and my love for writing.**

******Enjoy!**

* * *

Meet Alice Gehabich. She's kind, soft-spoken and polite. She excels in her academics and is the resident good girl of Vestroia High. Her favorite subjects are Math and Science. Alice hopes to one day go into a career that is science-oriented, much like her beloved grandfather.

Then there's Shun Kazami. He's smart, handsome, and mysterious. He excels in anything sport related and is one of the most popular guys in Vestroia High. His favorite sports are the Martial Arts and Basketball. Shun is one day going to take over his family's martial arts business and his grandfather's dojo, just like his family wants him to.

Despite their differences, Shun wants Alice and nothing will stop him.

Besides, what was that saying? Oh yeah.

Opposites attract.

oOo

Chapter Two

oOo

It was hot, and Alice was sweaty.

Very sweaty.

Of course, she was too polite to complain about it. She would just suck it up and take the heat. Unlike her, however, her two best friends were whining like no tomorrow.

"It's so hot! Why did Mr. Mariko make us have P.E. outside today of all days?" Julie groaned, wiping her shining forehead with the short sleeve of her P.E. uniform. It was soaked by now, even though they had been outside for only 15 minutes.

"Yeah, and can you believe we're stuck out here for the next half hour?" Runo grumbled right along with her. "Arg, and I forgot my deodorant today as well. I hope Dan doesn't mind a smelly girlfriend."

"It's okay, Runo. You can use mine for today." Alice reassured her friend. She didn't mind. Runo and Julie tended to forget things on a daily basis, so she was used to letting them borrow her stuff.

Julie chuckled as she tossed Runo an amused look, "Not like Dan would notice over his own stench."

Runo rolled her eyes at the teasing. Her gaze was drawn to where Dan and a couple of other guys were playing basketball. They were all drenched in sweat. How was it possible to play in 95 degree weather with the sun beating down on you?!

The boys had a lot of spectators, the vast majority being females. Not surprising, as some of the more popular guys were players. It helped that the soaked cloth of the uniform clung to their fit bodies like a second skin.

Having nothing better to do, the trio wandered over to watch the game. Fortunately, they were able to find partial shelter from the merciless sun under the shade of a tree that was a decent distance from the game.

Currently, the teams were divided up so that it was 3 vs. 3. Dan Kuso, Ace Grit, and Baron Leltoy were on one team while Shun Kazami, Komba O'Charlie, and Billy Gilbert were on the other. The score was tied, and neither team seemed to be tiring.

Julie and Runo were quickly pulled into the excitement of the game. Every time Dan or Billy was about to score, the two exploded into cheers for their respective others. When they missed or was intercepted, they fell back, one sighing with relief while the other held a look of dismay.

Alice laughed at the fluctuating expressions flickering across their faces. Indeed, the game was an intense one, and the ball moved so rapidly at times, it was difficult to keep track of it. Dan, who had the ball right now, made to shoot for the goal, but it was snagged out of the air by Shun. He quickly darted out of the 3-point line and out of the reach of the offending team.

What happened next was so quick, Alice could have debated that she made it up.

Shun's gaze slid over to hers, and their eyes connected. Alice felt her breath catch in her throat as his calm amber orbs seemed to pierce through her.

As quickly as it happened, the connection broke, and the next thing she knew, everyone around her exploded into either cheers or groans.

Blinking, she saw the look of disappointment on Runo's face and the expression of absolute glee on Julie's. Completely confused, she inquired, "What happened? Why's everyone cheering?"

Julie stared at her as if she had grown a second head while Runo had a raised eyebrow.

"You mean you didn't see?! Shun made an amazing shot and his team won!" Julie screeched, causing Alice and Runo to wince at her loud tone.

"Really? Huh, my mind must have wandered…" Alice trailed off, feeling bemused. Runo shook her head in exasperation as Julie continued to squeal about how amazing it was. Her attention was quickly diverted as her boyfriend jogged up to greet her.

"Billy! That was amazing!" The hyperactive girl launched herself at Billy while he laughed as she crashed into him. He smothered a smile when she recoiled. "Ew, you're all sweaty."

"Well, considering it's almost 100 degrees outside, can you blame me?" He chuckled, "And I barely did anything. It was Mr. Hotshot Shun here who did most of the work."

Indeed, behind the Australian boy were two other guys, one of which was waving his arms about, clearly disgruntled about something. As they drew nearer, you could make out what he was saying.

"…was in my eyes! That's the only reason why I couldn't score. Trust me; I'll get you next time!" Dan was exclaiming to Shun, who was calmly walking beside him. At first glance he seemed completely expressionless, but if you looked closely, you could see the amused glint in his eye as he listened to Dan rant.

"I'm sure Dan." Shun's voice was one that you would use to placate an over emotional toddler.

However, one could see that Dan was getting even more riled up at Shun's nonchalant tone, "Don't you 'I'm sure' me! Hmph!" He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. But despite his disappointment at having lost the match, his face brightened when he saw Runo, who was standing in the welcoming shade.

Alice supposed the two had gotten over the kissing incident, as she saw equal happiness on her friend's face as she noticed her boyfriend's presence.

Now that both Julie and Runo had their respective others, she couldn't help but feel a bit out of place. She wondered in the mysterious dark-haired boy felt the same. Risking a glance in his direction, her heart leapt to her throat as she realized he was watching her. It didn't help that he did look really handsome despite being soaked in sweat.

Alice looked down, a blush staining her cheeks. It seemed what had occurred earlier was not just her imagination. It really had happened.

But what Alice didn't understand was why. Of course, it probably wasn't all that strange seeing as the two couples were chatting, therefore the two of them were left to themselves, but it was the look in his eye that confused her. His face was one of deep intensity, as if he could bore a hole through her through looking along.

She didn't get much time to ponder this, as Mr. Mariko called them back in to dress out. She giggled as Runo and Julie let out cries of relief at the thought of the cool air conditioned building and not sweaty clothes.

The entire walk back, she could feel his thoughtful gaze on her, and she found that, for some strange reason, she didn't really mind.

oOo

Shun regarded the petite girl walking in front of him. She really was adorable, he smiled smugly. Both times when she had met his eye, she ended up blushing and looking away. Her childlike naivety only drew him in more.

He remembered how he had noticed her spectating the game, and when he had the ball, the only thing he could think of was to score. To score and to show off in front of her. He wanted to show her that he was the best.

But when he caught her eye, it seemed she was too surprised to actually pay attention when he scored the winning point. Shun wasn't sure whether to be disappointed that she missed the climax of the game, or to smirk at the fact that he had that effect on her.

Ah well, you win some, you lose some.

oOo

Even as the resident good girl who was known as a teacher's pet, Alice nearly fell asleep in math class. She loved the subject, but the teacher was not a very good one. She was an old woman, and her tone was so monotonous, it made it very difficult to stay awake and pay attention at the same time.

She looked across the room to Julie, who was still keeled over her desk and sound asleep. She'd been that way for over 10 minutes now and the teacher had yet to notice.

Sighing as she half-heartedly turned her attention back to the board, Alice rested her chin on her hand. Absently, she toyed with the little charm that hung from her neck. She hadn't taken it off since she had got it yesterday, other than to wash. Still, she wondered who would spend so much money on her.

Someone calling her name startled her out of her reverie and she blinked owlishly up at the teacher, who was staring at her expectantly from behind her desk next to a problem on the board. Quickly reading the problem, Alice sighed in relief, as it was an easy one on simple trigonometry.

"X equals 15, making angle A 48 degrees," Alice answered promptly. In response, she received confused looks from her classmates.

The teacher blinked, "Alright, even though I did not ask you to solve the problem. I was asking if you could send a note down to the office."

Alice flushed in embarrassment. Ducking her head to hide her tomato red face, she walked up to the front of the classroom and accepted the slip of paper that the woman was holding out to her. Silently making her way out of the classroom, she mentally berated herself for not paying attention. Now she had gone and humiliated herself in front of her peers.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts and hopefully shake off her embarrassment, she didn't watch where she was going. Next thing she knew, she slammed into a wall and tripped as she bounced back. Releasing a small cry of shock and pain as she landed on the floor, Alice wondered how the heck she could have missed a wall.

Looking up from her position on the ground, she saw Shun standing over her with something akin to worry etched on his face. So it seemed it wasn't actually a wall that she had run into. She blinked in surprise when a hand was extended towards her.

After shaking off her initial shock, she gratefully took the proffered hand. However, Shun misjudged his strength, or overestimated Alice's weight, as he pulled her up a bit too vigorously. For the second time in less than a minute, Alice felt herself falling, but this time in the opposite direction.

Thankfully, Shun caught her this time, her petite body falling directly into his arms. Alice felt her previously receding blush return in full force. Once he had made sure she was steady on her feet, he let go of his grip on her waist, immediately missing the feel of her soft, warm body.

"Are you alright?" Shun inquired, his low voice laced with concern. He ran his eyes over her body to check for any bruises that may have appeared, absently noticing how nicely her body had grown out.

Alice smiled sheepishly, "Yes. I'm fine. I'm sorry for bumping into you…" She ducked her head, feeling ashamed of her carelessness.

"You don't have to apologize. It was partially my fault as well." Shun let his lips quirk up in a half smile. She really was adorable. The natural pink that dusted her cheeks were a nice change from the usual powdered make-up that most other girls seemed to wear. "Where were you headed?"

"Oh, I was headed down to the office to give them the note that my math teacher sent." Alice shrugged lightly.

"Hn." Shun gave her an appraising look. "I'll walk you down."

If possible, Alice felt her face get even warmer. "No, no. It's not necessary. I don't want to be a bother."

"I insist," Shun gently took hold of her slim arm, pulling her in the direction of the front desk. "Besides, I have a study hall. It's not like I have anything better to do."

The pair walked in silence for a moment. It wasn't an awkward one. Rather, it was more of a companionable silence.

Shun lightly cleared his throat, alerting Alice that he was about to speak, "So I hear you are good at math?"

"Oh, I suppose I'm decent," Alice had been taught from a very young age to be modest. Her family had drilled it into her that she should never brag.

"Hn." It was clear that Shun saw right through her, "Well, I'm having a bit of trouble in Geometry, so I was wondering if you could help tutor me?"

"Oh, that actually works out very nicely! Julie said she needed help as well, so we could have a group study session!" Alice smiled, her face lighting up at the possibility. She was now looking up at him expectantly.

Shun sighed inwardly, disappointed. He was hoping for a one on one session where he could make his feelings a bit more known, but he would take what he could get. "Sure, that's fine. What time?"

"We were originally planning for tonight at 5 at Runo's. Mrs. Misaki said we could use the diner as a meeting place. It's a bit short-notice, but is that alright?" Alice bit her lip in worry. If he couldn't make it, then they wouldn't be able to do anything until next week. After Alice had made up the excuse to get out of going out with Klaus, Runo said that it was only honorable if she upheld her promise. So now she had to cover all of Runo's shifts for the next week.

Thankfully, Shun nodded his head in agreement. "That's fine."

By now, they had arrived in front of the office. With a small wave of farewell, Alice bid him goodbye and walked through the door into the threshold of the front desk.

He watched her form disappear before turning on his heel. Shun began heading back towards the direction of his study hall. Indeed he was put out that he wouldn't have alone time with the girl, but it was better than nothing. Even with Julie there, he could pretend it was just the two of them.

He smirked. Seemed like his plan to win Alice's heart was going just fine.

After all, it was almost like a date.

* * *

**AN: What do you think? I didn't really like the ending, but it seemed fitting to finish the chapter there. Also, I'm really sorry, but don't expect the next update to be for a while... Exams are coming up and I've got to start cramming for those. Stupid APs... :P But I promise I'll have the next chapter up by next Sunday!**

**In fact, if you can get to 20 reviews, I'll try and aim for it during the week days! ;D I know it's probably selfish to ask for so much, but after the amount of feedback I got last chapter, I think it'll be a piece of cake :) Also, don't forget to add to your alerts/favorites so you can keep up when I do update!**

**Thank you for reading! You all are amazing!**


	3. Just Like a Date

***dodges rotten tomatoes* I'm sorry! I really am! I know I said I would update... uh... about 3 weeks ago, especially as you guys went above and beyond my request for 20 reviews. But, I actually had the first half of the chapter written, but it seemed I hit a bit of a writer's block when it came to the actual Shun and Alice scene that you guys were hoping for. I tried, I really did, to force it out, but I sat at my computer for hours and got pretty much nothing done. So... I may have threw my hands up in exasperation and left and forgot about this...**

**...sorry? But here's the next chapter, and there's no juicy date scene as I had originally wanted... However, I did advance the plot a bit more than I had planned, so think of that as a present in my remorse.**

****ALSO** There will be a very important AN at the end, so please take the time to read that!**

******Disclaimer: ****I own nothing other than the plot, my OCs, and my love for writing.**

**********Enjoy!**

* * *

Shun is a very prideful person. He isn't quite as headstrong or brash as Dan, but he is infinitely more subtle. However, there is no question that he is very, _very_ prideful.

He is the most athletic in all of Vestroia High, and he planned to keep it that way.

He is one of the most handsome, and he would maintain his above average looks without a doubt.

He is immaculate in his studies. His diction is perfect. And he never, _ever_ backs down from a challenge.

That is why he is willing to sacrifice some of his pride to overcome this one, single challenge: A challenge that goes by the name of Alice Gehabich.

oOo

Chapter Three

oOo

"What?!"

Alice winced as Julie screeched directly into her ear. Honestly, she was going to be deaf by the end of the year. The two girls were sitting together during study hall, with Billy tagging along with lack of better things to do. Thankfully, the room was already filled with chatting and laughter, as the teacher was a laid-back one, who didn't mind them talking.

"You mean THE Shun Kazami is going to be studying with us?" Julie looked like she was about to faint. "Really hot, really popular Shun needs help with Geometry and he's studying with US?"

A disgruntled Billy crossed his arms over his chest, scowling slightly. He didn't really appreciate his girlfriend fangirling over one of his close friends. "I don't see what's so great about that. I mean, all y'all are going to do is talk about triangles and stuff."

Julie ignored her pouting boyfriend and stared at Alice, her eyes wide as saucers.

Alice sighed, not understanding what the big deal was either. "Yes, Julie, he is coming over to Runo's tonight for me to help tutor him."

The pink-clad girl continued to gawk. The girly side of her was squealing with joy at this new revelation, but there was the much smaller, reasonable side that whispered something was up. There was just something weird about this…

"Besides, why does Shun need help anyway? Last I heard, he was just fine on his own." Billy cut in, a somewhat puzzled look on his face.

That was bugging Julie as well. Why _did_ Shun need help? Admittedly, the current unit they were on was fairly difficult, but someone as smart as Shun wouldn't need someone to tutor him. Deciding to dwell on it later, she shoved the thought from her mind.

Alice shrugged. If someone needed help, she would lend them a hand, no questions asked. Billy looked like he wanted to say something else, but the end-of-school bell rang, signaling class was over. Julie grabbed her red-haired friend and proceeded to pull her towards the door, but not before giving Billy a quick peck on the cheek.

Laughing at her friend's eagerness, she waved Billy a goodbye and allowed herself to be dragged away. As the pair made their way to their lockers, which fortunately were fairly close to each other, they met up with Runo, who they saw was throwing her books into her locker haphazardly.

Slamming the door shut, Runo pushed a few stray hairs from her face, smiling as she saw her two friends approaching.

"Hey guys. You ready to go?" The blue-haired girl inquired as soon as they were in range.

Alice shook her head, "I need to grab a few books before we go. I'm tutoring Julie and Shun tonight at your place."

As she spun the dial on her locker, she saw Runo raise an eyebrow at her, eyes filled with question.

"Shun? I thought it was only Julie." Her lips pursed in thought, but she shrugged it off easily. "Whatever, I'm sure my parents won't mind. You know they love you." Runo grinned.

Laughing in agreement, Alice carefully placed her textbooks and binders into her bag. Unlike Runo and Julie, she was very organized. Nothing was out of place in her locker or backpack.

Quickly, she packed up the last book that she would need for tonight's homework and study session. Turning to face her friends, she made a gesture that clearly said that she was ready. The two picked up their bags from where they had set it as they were chatting, and slung them over their shoulders.

Together, the trio made their way off of school campus, taking the usual route to the diner. It was routine for them to hang out at Runo's after school. Whether it was to help out, do homework, or just spend time together. Mr. and Mrs. Misaki always enjoyed having them over. When they missed a day, they would always inquire where the missing person was. But that happened very rarely.

It was a good thing that the walk was only five minutes. The temperature had not let up over the course of the day. In fact, it seemed even worse. By the time they finally stepped into the welcome air-conditioned building, all three girls were pouring sweat.

From behind the counter, Mrs. Misaki smiled warmly at them. "Come in girls! Why don't you sit and cool down a bit."

The three girls gratefully picked out an empty table and collapsed into the chairs. Alice swiped her arm across her forehead, grimacing when it came away slick with perspiration. After resting for a few moments, she stood back up and informed the girls she was going to go freshen up before starting her shift.

Runo and Julie muttered incoherently, both still looking flushed from the heat. Alice nodded her greeting at Mrs. Misaki as she passed by towards the back stairs, which led up to Runo's bedroom.

Upon reaching the bathroom that was connected to the room, Alice sighed in relief as she splashed water on her face, reveling in the cold that pricked her cheeks. Wiping her dripping face with a towel that hung beside the sink, she peeled off her sweat-drenched clothes and hastily tied up her hair before hopping into the shower to quickly rinse off the stickiness that clung to the rest of her body.

Ten minutes later, she was out of the shower, dressed, and brushing her hair out. Slightly damp from the water that had sprayed onto it, she tied it back again into a low ponytail, not wanting it to get in her face as she worked.

Alice headed back downstairs, where she could see Runo and Julie still relaxing at the table. Customers were steadily trickling in, many of them being her admirers. It was a normal occurrence for her now. They would come and buy something, but then proceed to flirt with her. Alice tried not to be rude, but she always would politely, yet firmly, turn them all down. It didn't seem to deter them though.

Strapping on an apron and picking up a notepad, she began to help Mrs. Misaki take orders and bring the items to their respective customers. As she passed the two lazing about girls, she shook her head in exasperation. Gently prodding them, she gave them an amused look when they looked up at her with pouting expressions.

"You two should head on up. You're taking up a table." Alice did her best to sound stern, but her friends were making it difficult as they continued to give her puppy dog eyes.

"It's not our fault that you're so popular." Julie whined, obviously still feeling too lazy to bring herself to move. Runo pouted in agreement. But under Alice's expectant look, they groaned as they picked themselves up and trudged up to Runo's room.

Inwardly laughing at their antics, she finished delivering the iced tea and coffee to a couple that sat nearby.

Indeed, it was a normal day.

oOo

The next two hours passed by as usual. Alice was wiping down a table when Shun walked in, hands tucked into his pockets with a nonchalant look on his face. Upon spying the black-haired boy, she glanced up at the clock in surprise. It was already 4:57. He was just on time.

As she was finishing up the last few customers in her shift, she watched as he went to go sit by Julie and Runo, who had come down fifteen minutes prior to get a head start on homework. He gracefully slid into a chair opposite the two chattering girls, nodding a greeting when they turned to acknowledge him.

Her heart jumped when she saw his eyes slide to her. She waved a hello and was rewarded with a half-smile in return. She felt her previously slightly warm cheeks flush into a deeper red, and she hastily turned back to the counter, where she delivered the last order to Mr. Misaki.

She gently undid the straps that held her apron and hung it up on a hook behind the counter. She smiled kindly when Mrs. Misaki thanked her for helping out. Alice didn't mind at all, she loved working.

As she sat in the chair next to Shun, Runo stood up to go and help her parents out. Even though it technically wasn't her shift, she didn't feel like being surrounded with formulas and numbers. She playfully flicked a lock of Alice's hair as she passed her, grinning slightly.

"Hey Alice!" Julie beamed at her friend, "Now we can start learning some math!"

"Indeed, Julie. Hello Shun." Alice greeted the stoic boy, whose eyes were glimmering in faint amusement at Julie's enthusiasm.

"Hn." The only response she got was a noncommittal grunt. Knowing this was downright sociable for the boy, she began pulling out her Geometry textbook as well as some of the notes she had written in class.

"We'll start with the basic trigonometric functions," Alice began, pointing to the notes she had written down during class, "Sin of thirty degrees equals one-half, sin of forty-five degrees equals square root of two over two…"

While she continued listing the values as Julie dutifully scrawled them down in her own notebook, she could feel Shun's piercing gaze, his watchful eyes never once leaving her. It was a bit disconcerting, but she plowed on ahead, not letting her focus drift away from the numbers in front of her. Once she had finished with those, she began explaining how to do some of the problems the textbook provided.

As they continued working the problems together, Alice was beginning to share Julie and Billy's speculations on why Shun would need tutoring. He was, to put it simply, brilliant. For every problem that he had gone through he would be on top of it and certain of his answer. And he yet to miss a single question.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Julie stood up. She nodded absently when she excused herself to use the bathroom. Nearby, the diner door opened and a small girl, one Alice recognized that always hung around Alicia, entered the room.

Alice suddenly felt extremely nervous, although she had no idea why. It was only a tutoring session, right? The boy beside her was currently working on a three-part question that she had found, and it looked like he was nearly finished.

When she glanced over his shoulder to read his answer, her eyes widened slightly at the detailed and meticulous solution written in a neat cursive. Where had she seen that handwriting before? It looked very familiar…

Her thoughts were soon led away from the handwriting and to the response itself. It was, for lack of better words, perfect.

"Why do you need my help? You're already doing perfectly." Alice blurted out before she could stop herself. Clapping a hand over her over-enthusiastic mouth, she immediately dropped her gaze to her lap, blushing furiously. Her already flushed face reddened further when she heard his amused chuckles sound lightly from beside her.

"Perhaps the reason why I'm doing so well is because of your fantastic explaining of the material." Shun's low voice interrupted her internal scolding of herself for being so blunt. "I believe that the reason this unit is so difficult is because of the teachers' automatic assumption that we should understand each step perfectly. When in reality, there are many points that we don't know."

Alice nodded her head in agreement, slowly overcoming her heated face. "I guess it is a good idea to have a student's perspective. That way you can see exactly what the teacher forgot to mention."

"Hn." Shun looked like he was going to say something else, but at that moment Julie made her appearance.

"Hi! I'm back!" She sang, plopping herself down into her seat. Her jaw dropped slightly as she caught a glance of Shun's detailed response. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly before it was masked by her usual cheerfulness.

"Alright, now where were we?" Alice began where they had left off, explaining Shun's answer to Julie, whose face was scrunched up in concentration.

The trio failed to notice the girl at a nearby table shoot up out of her seat and storm out of the diner with a furious look on her face.

oOo

A dark haired girl glanced away from her newly manicured hands long enough to see her phone begin to ring. With a heavy sigh, she wearily picked it up, being careful to make sure she didn't accidentally bump her nails.

"Yes?"

There was a pause with jumbled talking on the other end. With every second that passed, the girl's eyes narrowed further until they just slits.

"I see. Thank you for telling me, Aiko. Get everyone on. Emergency club meeting."

Snapping her phone shut and angrily tossing it onto her bed, she pushed her chair away from her vanity and stalked over to her computer. Practically hissing in anger, she booted it up, jaw clenching as it slowly turned on. By the time it finally finished loading, she was ready to start pulling at her hair.

Sighing in relief as she clicked the icon that opened *Interspace, she immediately clicked the 'join' button that had appeared as soon as she had logged on. The moment she entered the chat room, voices began assaulting her delicate ears, all discussing the one thing the chat was made for.

She calmly sat, waiting for them to take notice of her. She was not disappointed.

"Look! The Pres. is here! She'll know what to do!"

Instantly, all voices died down and all eyes fixed on her face with single-minded intensity. You could have heard a pin drop in the deafening silence.

Parting her lips, she began in a clear voice. "As all of you know, we are gathered here to discuss the dilemma that we have come to face. Not ten minutes ago, one of our junior members witnessed something that we all have a reason to fear. She saw Shun and a female sitting at Misaki's diner, _alone_."

"This club was made so that we could ensure that one of us, his loyal admirers would eventually come to win his heart. However, the bitch in question is not one of us."

Here she paused, as many girls who had yet to hear the news gasped. She continued when the whispers died down again. "No. No, she is not one of us, the ones who have first claim on Shun. She is an outsider and a threat to our very cause. She must be eliminated."

Once again the president, who everyone was hanging onto her every word, paused. This time not because of chatter, as there was none. It was as silent as death. She was carefully planning her next words.

"This challenge that we must overcome. We must do together. If she is sneaky enough to get past us to _our_ Shun, then she is a sly fox. Girls, we must destroy Alice Gehabich."

* * *

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**I hope all of you read my groveling up there in the earlier note, as I truly am extremely sorry that I did not update sooner. And I want to warn you that this will be _very_ slow moving. Though I am slowly breaking down my writer's block, I still don't anticipate the next chapter to be up for a while, just to let you know.**

**HOWEVER. This story is not abandoned. And I will do everything I possibly can to try and finish this, even if it takes me the rest of my high school years. So please, please, _please_ do not give up hope for this story. It meant everything to me when I got those email alerts telling me someone reviewed/favorite/followed. I have so many ideas for this story, but I'm not quite sure how I'm going to connect them together yet.**

**I'm welcome to any and all ideas, as they will probably speed up the update times. Leave a review or PM me if you think you have something that could contribute to the story. I'm super excited to get back into writing, so ALL suggestions are wanted!**

* * *

**Not so important AN:**

**Seeing as I've been gone a while, I'm going to explain all of the little details here, or what I want you as the readers to get from this story. You can skip past this, but I don't recommend it, as it will most likely explain any questions you have.**

**First and foremost: **

***Interspace is pretty much going to be the only social networking sight that the characters will be using in this story. It's based off of the Bakugan Interspace, except it's like a cross between Facebook and Skype. I made a few adjustments so that it wouldn't seem too outrageous.**

**I'll explain what I had in mind for that last scene. Imagine separate windows where there are peoples' faces and they can chat. At the same time, if you were invited, but not an important member of the fan club, then you would be in the background, where you can hear everything and see the faces, but you yourself is not on the screen so others can see you. But you can still talk and be heard. The only people who can be seen in this case would be the officers of the fan club. E.g. The president.**

**Second, yes I do plan on having Marucho enter this story. That was actually why I brought Interspace into the plot in the first place. So for you Marucho lovers, rest assured that he _will_ be a part of this story sooner or later.**

**Third (Dang I'm starting to ramble...), I'm thinking about starting a new story, but I'm still debating on it. I'm letting you know now, as because this story is hitting a stand-still, you might be interested in other ideas I might have.**

**Well, that's it for now! Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can!**

**Leave a review, share my story, favorite/follow, any of these will guarantee a faster update, so please do!**


	4. Transfer Student

**Hey guys! Look! I have a new chapter :D But in my personal opinion, it's not really that good. Writer's blocks are annoying D': Anyway, i****n this chappy, I'm introducing Marucho! Many of you have asked that I include him, so I figured I'd add him sooner instead of later. This is a filler, so there's not really a lot of Shun and Alice moments or advancing of the plot.**

**And also, I actually got a PM from someone, I'm not saying who, that complained that I was using too many big words... So... um... I tried to use smaller words...?**

**To everyone else who reviewed and favorited/followed, thank you for your support! I really do appreciate it, especially after my 3 week long hiatus. Also, before I forget! You should go and check out my new story! Well, I guess it's not a real "story", but it's going to be a collection of one-shots, and I already have the first one up! It's pretty long, so it might take a while.**

**Arg, I'm rambling... I'll shut up now.**

******Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the plot, my OCs, and my love for writing.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Shun was by no means unpopular. In fact, he was considered one of the most popular guys at Vestroia High, despite only being a sophomore. He supposed it could be because he one of the top martial artists in the country, or it could have something to do with the fact that his family was fairly wealthy.

Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that he was indeed very good-looking. After all, nobody would be so shallow as to only judge by looks, correct?

Wrong.

Shun wanted to shake his head at the stupidity of society. For all they knew, he could be a murderer disguised as a teenage boy.

But, to win the ever elusive heart of Alice Gehabich, he needed to prove that he wasn't just a pretty boy. He needed to show her that he was good at everything he did. This included, he wrinkled his nose slightly, being kind.

oOo

Chapter Four

oOo

A small blonde-haired boy looked up at the large building timidly. Trembling with uncertainty, he slowly made his way in. He was not oblivious to the stares he was receiving. He supposed many were wondering why such a small boy was going through the halls of high school. When he stumbled slightly because of his trepidation, he felt a hand gently rest on his shoulder.

"Master Marucho, you have no need to be so frightened."

Marucho looked up at the wise, old butler, who was looking down at his short five foot frame with a kind smile on his face. He tried to offer a reassuring one of his own back, but his facial muscles didn't seem to be working.

"I know Kato; it's just that I'm kind of worried how I'll do. I mean, I'm transferring in the middle of the year!" His voice squeaked out, cracking slightly in his fear. Seemed his vocal cords weren't cooperating either.

"I don't mean to be forward, Master Marucho, but you are worrying for nothing. You are 13 and more brilliant than most high school students in the country."

Somewhat assured by his butler's encouraging words, he began walking with a bit more skip in his step as he followed the instructions, which he had memorized, to the office. They said they would be giving him a guide to show him around the school and get him situated to the environment.

Marucho nearly sighed in relief as he finally glimpsed the office. He felt some of the tension ease from his shoulders as he finally escaped from the questioning stares from the student body.

Upon entering the, thankfully, calm atmosphere of the front desk, the secretary looked up from where she was typing on the computer with the office phone tucked between her shoulder and head.

She nodded at the boy and raised a finger as she finished up. Marucho patiently waited for her to get to him, and he took the chance to look around the office. Just as he was halfway through reading the student policy poster that hung on the wall, he interrupted by the secretary's voice.

"Hello, how may I help you?" She then blinked and shook her head, "You must be Choji Marukura. Forgive me; I didn't recognize you at first."

"It's alright ma'am. I'm here to pick up my schedule." Marucho politely requested.

As she printed the copy out, a boy with long black hair strode into the room, hands stuffed into his pockets. He had a nonchalant look on his face, as if he had nothing to do and was perfectly fine with that. Marucho wondered absently why the hallway outside the office was suddenly crowded with females.

Upon spotting the blonde, he raised a single hand and gave him a small wave. Marucho returned with a tiny wave of his own, and whispered a small "hello" as he came into range.

"Are you Choji?" He asked, looking down at the much shorter boy. His five foot ten stature easily dwarfed the boy.

Marucho nodded his head hesitantly, feeling intimidated as the larger boy eyed him. "Yes, but a lot of people call me Marucho," was his mumbled reply.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as the boy accepted the schedule from his secretary, who was currently staring at him with figurative hearts in her eyes. His amber eyes scanned down the paper, before passing it on to the smaller boy, who took it with a slightly trembling hand.

"My name's Shun. I'm going to be showing you around the school until you feel more comfortable on your own." His head tilted slightly as he regarded the boy. "You're in my homeroom, so just follow me."

With that, he turned on his heel and swiftly walked to the office exit. When Marucho hesitated, he glanced back, "Well, come on," then strode out into the bustling hallway.

Hurriedly readjusting his bag on his shoulder, he bid Kato farewell and quickly followed Shun. As he caught up enough to fall in step with him, he asked the question that had been bothering him for a while now, "So, why do so many girls follow you around?"

Shun stiffened slightly, almost imperceptible. But Marucho's sharp eyes caught the movement and he quickly backtracked, "I-I mean, y-you don't have t-to answer. I'm sorry if I o-offended you…"

The other boy let out a small sigh and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, "Don't worry, it's not you I'm annoyed at. Those girls are my '_fanclub_'." He spat the word out as if it tasted foul on his tongue. "They honestly have no sense of boundary, but I can't seem to get rid of them. They're like a pack." He grimaced in disgust.

Marucho relaxed in relief as he was assured that it wasn't him who had offended him. But a frown soon marred his face as he realized the predicament his new friend was in. At least, he considered the aloof boy his friend.

"Well, couldn't you just date someone to get them off your back?" Marucho was a brilliant child, but he wasn't an expert with girls, as he was only 13. But he did understand that if a guy already had a girlfriend, the other girls couldn't do anything.

Shun let out another long-suffering sigh, "Trust me when I say I've tried. But they're still a whole bunch of creepy stalkers. Besides, I haven't met many girls who don't fall over my feet." He added dryly, purposely editing out that that there was one girl he had his sights set on. Despite being somewhat adorable with his tepidness, Marucho was still a stranger. And he didn't spill his secrets to strangers.

He didn't spill his secrets _period_.

Deciding to change the subject, he glanced down at the boy, who still had a small frown marring his face, "So, I compared your schedule to mine, and we have a lot of classes together. So just follow me around until you get used to the school. I'll get some of my friends to help you out when I'm in a different class."

Attention diverted, Marucho smiled brightly up at him. For the first time, he actually felt welcomed− and not because people were to be polite in regard of his family's reputation. Maybe he would even make a few friends.

oOo

When the pair arrived outside of their homeroom, Marucho timidly trailed Shun as he stepped into half-empty classroom. Using his prodigy powers, he came at the conclusion that because it was still early−ten minutes until the tardy bell rang− many people were still outside chatting with friends. When Shun walked over to what seemed to be his desk, he set his bag down at the place next to him.

However, before he could sit, a pink and white blur tackled him. He let out a startled yelp, but it was muffled as he was clutched to a squealing girl who was slowly choking the life out of him.

"Can't…. breathe…" He managed to choke out. Suddenly, the girl was yanked away from him and he pulled in deep, heaving breaths. Still red-faced, he heard a girl's voice berating someone.

"Julie! How could you! You nearly killed him!" Marucho winced as the high-pitched voice pierced his eardrums. He looked at Shun in confusion and saw him watching the scene with a small smirk on his face.

"The girl who tackled you was Julie Makimoto and the girl who's screaming is Runo Misaki. The one who's watching calmly is Alice Gehabich."

Upon hearing her name, Julie turned around beaming. "Hi! Sorry if I hurt you, but you're so cute! How old are you? Twelve? Thirteen? How come you're here in our homeroom? Would you−"

She was cut off by the blue-haired girl, "Let him breathe!" She too turned to the wide-eyed blonde. "Don't mind her. She gets really excited over everything."

The redhead, who Marucho remembered was Alice, laughed softly, "They both get very excited. Are you sure you're not hurt?" She came forward to check him over, and Marucho blushed at the close scrutiny.

"I-I'm fine." Marucho adjusted his glasses, which had been knocked askew when he was tackled, and fixed his mussed hair. "But, yes I am only thirteen. I'm here in your homeroom because I transferred from my old school."

"Only thirteen?" Runo questioned, an eyebrow raised. "Wow, you must be really smart!"

"I s-suppose." Once again, Marucho felt himself blushing down to the roots of his hair. All three girls laughed at his modesty and began cooing over how adorable he was.

Well, at least Julie did. Runo stood on the side to make sure he wouldn't die again while throwing her own two cents in every now and then. Alice stood beside Shun, a gentle smile on her face as she watched them.

"So do you need any help around school? I wouldn't mind helping you out!" Julie beamed down at him. Here, Shun cleared his throat.

"I'm showing him around until he's used to getting to his classes." He informed. "Though we don't have all of our classes so I was planning on asking your help when I'm not around."

"Oh, that's so sweet of you to help him out!" Alice smiled at him, brown eyes sparkling. Was that a tiny blush on Shun's face? Marucho noted his reaction with interest. Maybe Alice could help Shun get rid of his fangirls, he mused thoughtfully.

All three girls easily consented, and Marucho felt a warm feeling blossom in his chest. He had not only found a new friend in Shun, but now he had three! He wondered if they knew that his parents were famous businessmen…

oOo

By the time lunch rolled around, Marucho found that he had already settled quite nicely. He didn't have the previous class with any of his new friends, so he was a bit lost where to sit.

Thankfully, after a minute of searching, he caught sight of Runo's twin pigtails and immediately picked his way over to them. They were sitting at a large picnic table under the shade of a tree, and he saw that so far only Runo, Alice, and a brown-haired boy were occupying the space.

Suddenly feeling very timid, as he didn't know any of them particularly well, he hesitantly walked up to the chattering trio.

"M-may I sit with you guys?" He stammered out. The ground seemed really interesting all of the sudden… But when he peeked up from under his bangs, he was relieved to see Alice and Runo smiling at him.

"Of course! Don't be shy!" Runo encouraged brightly. She then elbowed the brunette, who was staring at him with curiosity in his eyes. Startled, he jumped, and under Runo's pointed glare, he hastily turned and grinned at the boy.

"Hi! My name's Dan. Runo's told me about you. Marudo, right?" He asked, raising his arms to cross behind his head in a casual manner.

"MaruCHO, Dan! Way to be rude!" Runo fumed at the now cowering slightly Dan, who had a few sweat drops leaking down his head. He waved his hands in front of him wildly in a conciliating gesture.

"Sorry, sorry… I'm not very good at remembering names," He laughed nervously, sending Marucho an apologetic look. Marucho opened his mouth to tell it was fine and it was only a mistake when an unfamiliar voice spoke up.

"We're gone for five minutes and you've already gotten Runo mad?" Marucho whipped around almost fast enough to give him whiplash. Next to Shun, who was standing there with an aloof expression and a brow cocked in exasperation, was a sandy haired boy with a baseball cap over his head. Marucho placed the strange accent he spoke with as Australian.

Upon seeing the smaller blonde, he blinked in surprise. "Oh. Who are you? You look kinda familiar." He leaned forward a bit, eyes squinting as he examined the boy. "Bit of a midget, aren't you?"

For that, he received a slap across the back of his head by a reddening Julie, who had just appeared behind the two boys. Boyfriend or not, she fumed silently, how could he go and insult Marucho's size?

Before Julie could start screaming, Shun quickly cut in, "Guys, this is Marucho. He's new and just transferred. Marucho, that's Dan Kuso and Billy Gilbert. Marucho's a smart cookie, being only thirteen and a sophomore, so he won't have a problem remembering names. " He added, his lips quirking slightly to show his amusement. He gracefully slid into his seat next to Alice, who smiled at him in greeting.

Dan and Billy, who were the only ones in the group who hadn't met Marucho beforehand, gaped at him. Then Billy snorted, "In that case, you must've been given Dan's share of intelligence."

The group burst into laughter as Dan sputtered incoherently before giving up and pouting, sticking his nose in the air indignantly. Runo gently patted him on the arm while trying to muffle her own giggles.

As Marucho tried to contain his own small peals of laughter, Billy spoke again. "But really, you look really familiar. Have we met somewhere before?" Marucho felt his heart jump to his throat as he racked his genius brain for something to reply with.

"Um… I don't think so…" He mumbled self-consciously. He was always a terrible liar, but thankfully, it was the truth. He hadn't met the boy before, at least not in person.

Billy was still regarding him with a thoughtful look, and the rest of the group watched the interaction with interest. But nonetheless, they began a new conversation, the boys discussing teams for basketball later that day for P.E. and the girls listening in while they discussed their own plans for later that evening.

A few other people joined the ragtag group, and were introduced as Joe Brown, Chan Lee, and Komba O'Charlie. Marucho filed their names and appearances down in his memory, as he had with everyone else, so he would recognize them in the future.

He was grateful when the boys brought him into the discussion as well. Marucho thanked his lucky stars that he had met such welcoming people on the very first day in his new school. Absentmindedly, he vaguely followed the topics while munching on his sandwich that Kato had made for him that morning.

"…and we should all get together on Interspace!" Dan was saying, "I have this awesome new idea for a game and it would be so cool if we could, like, completely develop it!"

Suddenly, Billy's eyes widened, "That's it! Interspace!" He turned to Marucho, who was staring at him with wide eyes at his sudden outburst. "Are you Marucho Marukura?"

Marucho sat in stunned silence before dropping his gaze to his lap and nodded shyly.

"Wait, wait, wait. That guy who helped make Interspace?" Dan asked, regarding Marucho with a new gleam in his eye. "In that case you can help me with my new game! This is gonna be awesome!"

"You… You mean you guys aren't mad that I kept my identity a secret?" Marucho asked, a disbelieving note in his voice. Everyone else who had found out who he was had always began to suck up to him in hoping to get in good graces with his very influential family.

Dan laughed and thumbed his nose, "Of course not! Why would we be mad?" He then grinned cheekily at him, "You're new, so it's not like we would have known you beforehand, right?"

The others at the table shook their heads at Dan's obliviousness. Judging by the way no one tried to correct led Marucho to believe that this occurred on a regular basis. Feeling an elated feeling wash over him, he grinned happily and rejoined the conversation with renewed vigor.

"Of course I'll help you Dan! I can probably even program it so that you can play it on the computer!" Marucho beamed up at him. He laughed as Dan reached over and playfully pulled him into a chokehold, ruffling his hair as he began to chatter about how awesome it was that he now had his own super-nerd.

Of course, this comment earned him a slap on the head and a severe scolding from Runo for his rudeness.

And with a happy heart at making so many friends in a single day, Marucho decided that he could definitely get used to this.

* * *

**Like I said, not much that really happened. And it wasn't really my best work, but Marucho is now part of the story and did you catch the hint? He's going to help play matchmaker so that Shun's fangirls will leave him alone! Of course, fangirls are persistent, so I don't plan on having them give up anytime soon. Besides, they'll be a good source of drama and humor :D**

**One of my dear readers gave me a fantastic idea, so I'm definitely incorporating it into my story! I'll mention who once I get there ;) Until then, stay tuned! I have a lot of plot twists in mind, so I'm going to have some fun with this *rubs hands together excitedly***

**Leave a review to tell me what you think! ****I welcome new readers, so share my story to your friends who are interested. Favorite ****or follow to keep up with the updates. Because of my stupid writer's block, updates will be irregular, so having an email alert will be handy :) **


	5. Cat's Out of the Bag

**Yeah, I'm a jerk... ._. I know I said I'd be updating more frequently, but honestly, I don't have that much inspiration right now. Also add that with the busy life of school, and well, yeah. Um... Okay, I'll shut up now.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When Shun is faced with a dilemma, he always deals with it with a cool blankness and a calm stature. He finds that it is the best way to get the problem over with quickly and efficiently. After having so much practice dealing with his fangirls, he is quite skilled in the art of social problem solving.

However, when faced with a confrontation, Shun believes that different approaches are necessary. It all depends on the situation, he rationalizes. Whether the person is easily angered about some trivial thing or another, like Dan, or if they're going off of (false) rumors, such as angry boyfriends who think he kissed their respective others.

He can easily take care of those problems, which happens a little too often for his liking.

But when faced with an accusation about Alice? He may as well start panicking.

oOo

Chapter Five

oOo

The next week passed without incident. Marucho had settled in quite nicely, already displaying his profound knowledge. He had gotten to know his friends a bit better, and couldn't be more grateful for having such kind companions. Despite lying to them initially, he was easily forgiven and welcomed into the group.

Currently, he was sitting in his Biology class, taking notes. When the teacher paused in the lesson to give a brief explanation of the material, he glanced around the classroom. The only person he actually knew in the class was Alice, who was giving the teacher her undivided attention. Marucho smiled inwardly, he liked that about her; how she was just as studious and hardworking as him.

That's why he wondered if she was interested in anybody.

…

Not that way! He wondered if she was available so that he could ask her about helping Shun out. The older boy had been extremely helpful, showing him around the school or getting others to do so when he couldn't. After everything he had done for the younger boy, he felt like he owed Shun. Helping him keep his fangirls at bay seemed like something he should at least help him out with.

But how would he ask her that? He wondered as he began taking notes again. He was adept at taking notes while simultaneously thinking of something else, a skill that came in handy more than once. Shun didn't seem like the type who would appreciate someone telling his crush that he liked her.

Of course, Marucho had never confirmed whether Shun actually liked her or not. But based on his inductive reasoning skill, another one that he found was quite useful, he could infer from his faint blushes, constant staring, and slight anger when another male was sniffing around, that Shun had at least a slight interest in the girl.

It was amazing how no one else had noticed. In Marucho's eyes, it was quite obvious. He was startled out of his thoughts when the bell rang, signaling the end of class. He quickly packed his books into his bag as the teacher yelled out the homework to the rapidly dispensing students. Not wanting to be trampled, he decided to wait until the outward flow of students slowed.

He jumped slightly when a light brush against his arm got his attention. He turned to see Alice smiling sweetly at him.

"Shun asked me to show you to the club that he and Dan started. We have a meeting every Friday, so we would be delighted to have you join us." She explained.

"That would be great. Thank you, Alice." Marucho immediately responded, smiling happily up at her taller frame.

The two made their way out of the classroom and headed in the direction opposite of the courtyard, where the group usually met to eat together. As they neared the destination, they could hear already hear Dan yelling about something. When they arrived, he could see brunette bouncing slightly as he explained excitedly about something or another. Shun was quietly eating at a desk nearby, and Julie and Runo were listening with amusement.

"…and they could have these awesome abilities and stuff! Like, you can drag others into a 2v1 or even jump into a battle to help out your allies!"

When Dan noticed the pair that had just arrived, he paused in his speech to greet them whole-heartedly. "Hey Alice! Hey Marucho, welcome to the game designers club!" Marucho couldn't help but chuckle at Dan's exuberance.

"Thanks Dan. And you guys design games? That's really cool!" At Marucho's statement, Dan seemed to puff up with pride.

"Yeah, we've thrown a few ideas around, but we need someone to design it so people can actually play it!" Dan grinned, "And that's where you come in, buddy. If you helped with Interspace, you can totally help us out."

Without further ado, Dan began to explain his newest idea for a game, now that everyone had arrived. Marucho had to admit it was a pretty good idea. The theory behind the game was actually quite clever, and with his knowledge of computer programming, he could easily develop Dan's idea into a full-blown game. Anywhere he had trouble, he could always hire a professional to help out.

As the six continued to discuss and improve upon the core of Dan's design, Marucho was careful to write down any and every idea they had. He would get started on it as soon as possible. Already, he was looking forward to this latest project.

oOo

All too soon, lunch period drew to a close and the group parted ways for afternoon classes. Runo, Julie, and Marucho had the same class after lunch, so they always made their way to the classroom together. As they were walking, an idea hit Marucho.

"Hey, girls," He cut it, sending Julie an apologetic look for interrupting her, "I was wondering about something. Does Alice have a boyfriend?"

He was met with blank silence.

Marucho's eyes widened as he realized how that sounded. "Wait! I don't mean it that way!" He waved his hands in front of him hastily, as if trying to wave away the effect his words seemed to have struck on the two girls. "I meant for Shun! Not me!"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Marucho wanted to slap himself.

If anything, the identical looks on the two girls' faces seemed to deepen with disbelief.

Julie broke first, "Shun. As in _our _Shun?!" Her voice squeaked higher with every syllable. Her eyes were already as large as saucers. Runo seemed to be mimicking a gaping fish. Her jaws were opening and closing, as if trying to speak, but she found herself unable to.

Marucho poked his fingers together in front of him, mentally scolding himself for his over-enthusiastic mouth. Quickly, he racked his suddenly unintelligent brain for something to reply. However, the most he could manage was, "Um… yes?"

Again, there was silence.

Suddenly, Runo snorted. "Huh, now that I think about it, it's not that surprising."

Julie blinked. Her brows scrunched together in confusion as she attempted to decipher what on Earth Runo meant by that statement. "What?! How is that not surprising? I mean, this is the silent, stoic Shun that we're talking about here!"

"Jeez, for someone who claims herself to be so boy savvy, you're being awfully dense, Julie." Runo remarked dryly, as she refrained from rolling her eyes. "Don't you see? That's_ exactly _why Shun would like her! She's not like any of the other girls who constantly try to harass him because of his 'mysterious' nature. She's just the type of person he would be comfortable around!"

A dawning look of realization crossed Julie's face as she connected the dots. Eyes widening further, she gasped, "And they're the only two in our group that doesn't have a boyfriend or girlfriend! How did we not see this before?!"

Marucho cleared his throat to get their attention, "So as I was saying, Shun likes Alice. I came to the same conclusion as Runo did when I noticed his… female problems. So I was wondering if maybe Alice could help him get rid of his fangirls?" Marucho bit his lip and avoided the gaze of the two older girls, who each had a contemplating look on their faces.

"Well," Runo began, "that makes sense, once you think about it. Once he gets a girlfriend, the others might back off." Here, she paused, biting her lip in worry. "But Alice is so kind-hearted. The fangirls will tear her to shreds if they feel like getting her out of the way between them and 'Shunny-poo.'"

Julie shook her head, "Nah, Alice can handle her own. If she feels like protecting her friends, she'll do it without hesitation." But Runo still looked troubled for her sister-at-heart. She knew Alice wasn't weak, but the fangirls weren't exactly kind either.

Marucho piped up, "Maybe we should ask Alice herself? I mean, this is a pretty big favor, and Shun doesn't even know that I know."

Julie shook her head, "No, it won't do to just push them together on a favor. They'll just feel like they've been forced to do this and it'll make a real relationship impossible for them. We need to let them do it on their own."

"But Shun already likes Alice, so shouldn't we just tell her that?" Runo asked, completely confused as to why they couldn't just tell each other and get it over with.

This time, it was Julie's turn to refrain from rolling her eyes, "And this is why_ I'm _the boy expert! Runo, how would you have felt if I had forced you and Dan together on a measly favor? Wouldn't you feel cornered? You'd be stuck feeling like you guys are doing this only as friends, which completely defeats the purpose of getting you guys together in the first place!"

Runo slumped as she acknowledged the truth in the girl's words. "I think that may be the only time you ever won an argument with me, Jules."

Marucho hastily cut in as he saw the silver-haired girl bristle, "Hey, but maybe we could still help Shun to get Alice to like him back. I mean, maybe just give them a push in the right direction, you know?"

Immediately, Julie forgot about Runo's jibe about her debating skills and latched onto the idea, "Yeah! We could play matchmaker!"

Runo looked skeptical at the idea of playing Cupid, but Julie was already nodding to herself as she began to develop ideas in her head. "Yes, yes, we could give him tips on how to charm a girl, and tutor him in the ways of asking out a female, and then we could show him how to shower her with attention…"

Marucho grinned as Julie began rambling about the many ways in which they could play the love doctor and mentally gave himself a pat on the back for his fantastic job on getting the two girls roped into this sure to be amusing scheme.

oOo

Shun was sitting on one of the numerous trees that sprinkled the wide campus of their school. From an easy fifteen feet off the ground, he could clearly see the heads of his classmates milling around, waiting for their ride to pick them up after school. Of course, Shun could get home any time he wanted, as being a ninja had trained his running to ridiculous speeds. But sometimes he preferred taking a break and just relaxing after his classes had ended for the day.

As he was (secretly) observing a particular red-head doing her homework while she was waiting for her friends, he glimpsed an excited Julie, an exasperated Runo, and a clearly amused Marucho heading his way. As they neared, he gracefully got up from his perch on the branch and leaped down, smoothly landing on both feet.

Before he could utter a single greeting, Julie blurted out, "Is it true that you like Alice?"

Shun froze, his mouth still half open from his attempt at a greeting. Snapping it shut, he narrowed his eyes at the trio, who were each regarding him with curiosity, although some hid it better than others. He raised an eyebrow as if asking for elaboration.

Marucho immediately piped up from his much shorter stature, "What Julie means is, don't you prefer Alice much more than any of the other girls, especially your fangirls?"

Almost defensively, Shun crossed his arms over his chest, amber eyes narrowing further, "What's your point?" His curt tone suddenly seemed much too frosty and the three quickly back tracked.

"Nothing! It's just that Marucho mentioned that you had a problem with the fangirls, and you didn't seem to mind Alice… So… Yeah…" Runo trailed off, as she sent a glance (one that Shun noticed, as it was not quite as secretive as Runo might have thought it was) to her fellow partners in crime, pleading for help.

Rolling his eyes, Shun shook his head in exasperation. Feeling his annoyance drain away slightly, he sighed quietly to himself. He should have known that his friends couldn't resist sticking their noses into his business, especially as there was no juicy gossip currently flying around the school at the moment.

"Okay, so I don't mind Alice. What's wrong with that?" Shun tried to keep from snapping at them, but honestly, his friends were just too nosey for their own good.

"Well, maybe Alice could help you with your little fangirl problem. I mean, if she was your girlfriend or something, the other girls might back off." Marucho rationalized, "Of course, there's always the chance that Alice might even like you back, so it's a win-win situation."

Feeling rather uncomfortable, Shun tried to shrug nonchalantly. "So you want me to just walk over to her and ask her to be my pretend girlfriend?" He asked disbelievingly. He almost sighed with relief as Julie shook her head vehemently.

"No no no, you can't do that. Trust me; it won't be a good idea. So what we're going to do, is we're going to help you court Alice so that you two can fall in love and be in a relationship like the rest of us!"

The idea actually sounded appealing in his head, as his (apparently) not-so-secret crush on Alice was now out in the open between the trio of temporary matchmakers. But he couldn't resist teasing Julie about it, "Courting? What is this, the 18th century?" He smirked lightly as Julie easily rose to the bait, her face going red with frustration.

"Ooh. I'm trying to set you up with the girl of your dreams and this is how you repay me? Hmph!" Julie turned her head to side and stuck her nose in the air petulantly. This time, Runo couldn't refrain from rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, so yeah we're going to help you by playing matchmaker and getting those annoying chicks off your back." Runo said rather matter-of-factly, ignoring the stoic boy's skeptical look, "And hopefully you and Alice will hit it off and finally get together."

Shun was prepared to retort, but Julie, having already forgiven him for his teasing, grabbed his arm and grinned mischievously at him. "Oh trust me, lover boy, we have much planned for you guys. We'll talk later, though. We need to meet up with Alice now. Don't worry, we will have_ much _to discuss."

* * *

**Meh, the quality of this chapter isn't very good... xP Ah well, at least I managed to squeeze something out haha. So, as usual, I'll say that I'll update more, but honestly I still have no idea what I'm going to do next with this fic... If you guys have any ideas, ANY ideas at all, they will be much appreciated.**

**Also, I've decided to become a Beta reader! If you need any help with a story, whether it be proof-reading, writing ideas, or anything of that sort, I'll be more than happy to help! Maybe I'll even get a few ideas while reading y'all's stories ;D**

**Don't forget to leave a review, favorite/follow, share my story, or PM me if you have any questions! I love all feedback and new readers are more than welcome! :D**


End file.
